Seventieth New York Infantry.  Cols., Daniel E. Sickles, William Dwight,
Jr., J. Egbert Farnum; Lieut. -Cols., William Dwight, Jr., J. Egbert Farnum, Thomas Holt,
Daniel Mahan; Majs., J. Egbert Farnum, Thomas Holt, Daniel Mahan, William H. Hugo. The
70th, the 1st regiment of the Excelsior brigade, was composed of companies from New York
city, Port Jervis, Paw Paw, Mich., Pittsburgh, Pa., Boston, Mass., Patterson and Newark,
N. J., and was mustered into the U. S. service at Camp Scott, Staten island, June 20,
1861, for a three years' term. It left for Washington on July 23; was quartered in the
city for a short time and then assigned to Sickles' brigade, Hooker's division, on guard
duty at the forts along the Maryland side of the Potomac. Co. G joined the regiment in
October, being mustered in at Washington on Oct. 8. In the disposition of troops
preparatory to the advance on the Peninsula, Sickles' brigade became the 2nd brigade, 2nd
division, 3d corps, and reached Yorktown in April. In the battle of Williamsburg, the
first battle of consequence in which the 70th took part it met with the heaviest loss of
its service. Out of 700 engaged the loss was 330 killed, wounded or missing. At Fair Oaks
and in the Seven Days' battles the regiment was active and embarked at Yorktown, Aug. 20,
for Alexandria, whence it moved at once to the support of Gen. Pope at Manassas. In a
sharp encounter at Bristoe Station, the 70th lost 5 men and at the second Bull Run 23. The
regiment returned to Washington and was stationed in that vicinity until November, when it
moved to Falmouth. It was present at the battle of Fredericksburg, returning immediately
afterward to its camp at Falmouth, which became its winter quarters. It was next in the
field at Chancellorsville, and at Gettysburg lost 113, killed or wounded, and 4 missing.
In the southward movement, the brigade met the enemy in a brisk engagement at Wapping
heights, fought at Kelly's ford, participated in the Mine Run campaign, and spent the
winter at Brandy Station. In the reorganization of the corps, the regiment was assigned in
April, 1864, to the 2nd brigade, 4th division, 2nd corps, and on May 13, to the 4th
brigade, 3d division, 2nd corps. It shared in the memorable campaign under Gen. Grant
until July 1, 1864, when it was mustered out at the close of its term of service, the
veterans and recruits being transferred to the 86th N. Y. infantry. Although not in
service as long as the preceding New York regiments, the 70th won its right to be known as
one of the "three hundred fighting regiments" by many an instance of gallantry
and the loss of 182 by death from wounds out of a total enrollment of 1,226. It also lost
70 by death from disease, etc.

Footnotes:Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 2